Explosive-engine.



LE ROY BROWN.

Patented J an. 23, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Attorneys m LE ROY BROWN.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 191a.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Witnesses Attorneys LE ROY BROWN.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1916.

Patented. Jan. 23, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses Attorneys 9 I TEM AW LE ROY BROWN, 0F LANSING, MICHIGAN.

EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE.

I; WANT MFFIWM.

ful Explosive-Engine, of which the followin is a specification.

h1s lnventlon relates to exploslve engines and more especially to theconstruction of the jacket surrounding the cylinders, one

object being to provide a novel arrangement of passages whereby theexhaust gases can be directed through the jacket and will serve tomaintain the gaseous fuel at a high temperature. I

A further object is to provide means whereby the water used as a coolingmedium will not extend between said passages and the outer wall of thejacket, but overheating and warping of said wall will be prevented bysteam generated in the jacket, so that it becomes possible to maintainthe gaseous fuel at a higher temperature than could be attained shouldwater only be used as a cooling medium.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear asthedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and'in the details of constructionhereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be madewithin the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spiritof the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a view partly in plan and partly insection of the cylinder casting of an engine. Fig. 2 is a view partly inelevation and partly in section of said cylinder casting. Fig. 3 is aview partly in end elevation and partly in section of the casting, thesection being taken on the line AB Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates acylinder casting of the usual construction having spaced exhaustpassages 2 between which is provided a fuel intake port 3 opening into achamber 4. Valves 5 are provided for closing the exhaust passages andadditional valves 6 are utilized for controlling the flow of fuel fromthe chamber 4 to the respective cylinders.

The usual water jacket is employed but the water contained within thejacket is not designed to flow between the chamber .tand the passages 2.Instead a partition 7 extends within the casting so as to divide thewater acket into a water containing chamber 8 and a steam chamber 9,this steam chamber being arranged between the partition 7 and theadjacent side wall of the cylinder casting. A desired number of ports 10are provided within the partition 7 and each of these ports is designedto be partly or entirely closed by a valve 11 the stem 12 of whlchextends through the wall of the castmg and may be rotated in anysuitable manner, as by means of a wheel 13.

While the engine is in use the valves 11 are moved so as to permit theleakage of a small amount of water from the chamber 8 into the chamber 9and as the walls of the castmg are heated to a high temperature by thehot gases exhausted therefrom, it will be apparent that as the water isadmitted in small quantities to the chamber 9 it will be immediatelyconverted into steam. This steam, while having a chilling influence uponthe wall of the casting so as to prevent warping thereof, will maintainthe gaseous fuel within the chamber 4 at a much higher temperature thanwould be possible should water circulate freely in the chamber 9.Consequently the efficiency of the engine is greatly increased inasmuchas it is possible to keep the temperature of the fuel but slightly belowthe temperature at which it will ignite in the explosion chamber.Obviously valve 11 can be regulated so as to vary the supply of water tothe chamber 9 to meet diflerent climatic conditions and to insure themaintenance of the heat of the wall at approximately a predeterminedtemperature. A steam vent 14L may be provided in the top of the chamber9 so as to obviate the danger of explosion due to steam pressure withinthe engine or radiator.

What is claimed is 1. In an explosive engine, a cylinder casting havinga water jacket and a steam chamber, valved means for controlling theadmission of water to the steam chamber from the water jacket, andexhaust and fuel passages extending into the steam chamber.

2. In an explosive engine, a c'ylinder casting having a water jacket anda steam chamber, valved means for controlling the admission of .waterfrom the water jacket into the steamchamber, and exhaust and fuelPatented-Jan. as. tart.

passages extending into the steam chamber, said steam chamber having avent.

3. In an explosive engine, a cylinder casting having a water jacket,exhaust and fuel passages extending into the casting, a partition withinthe casting and providing a steam chamber extending between thepassages, said partition having a port for maintaining communicationbetween the water jacket and the steam chamber, and means forcontrolling the flow of water into the steam chamber from the jacket.

4. In an explosive engine, a cylinder casting having a steam chamber,means for admitting Water in minute quantities to the steam chamber fromthe water jacket, and

